If you saw our early-morning story regarding the ominous remarks from Broncos coach Sean Payton, this one won’t surprise you.
The Broncos might bench quarterback Russell Wilson for the final two games of the regular season.
Via Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Broncos are “strongly considering” having Wilson sit for the final two weeks, in order to preserve their overall financial flexibility after the season ends.
As we’ve mentioned multiple times, Wilson has a $37 million injury guarantee for 2025 that becomes fully guaranteed in March 2024. If he can’t pass a physical when the vesting deadline arrives, the $37 million becomes unavoidable.
Jarrett Stidham, who got the final two starts of 2022 for the Raiders after they did the same thing with Derek Carr, would play in place of Wilson.
We floated the idea of Wilson taking a seat for Week 18, if the Broncos lose to the Chargers at home on Sunday and have their playoff goose fully cooked. The idea of benching Wilson while the team is still alive for the postseason underscores the uncertainty the organization is experiencing regarding the possibility of guaranteeing Wilson’s salary through 2025.
It also means that he’s a candidate to be traded or cut, if the two sides can’t work out an alternative deal more palatable to the Broncos.